Opel Diplomat A
(1964 - 1977)
Opel Diplomat A: All models
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Certainly, it's not the first thing that comes to mind. A comfortable touring sedan belongs on the highway or a fast country road. The gentlemen from the magazine 'hobby' thought differently, and tested the Opel Diplomat on the hill climb to the Gaisberg near Salzburg. And came to a surprising conclusion. This report reproduces the original wording of the test at the time and shows the Opel Diplomat in historical pictures.
With the Chevrolet V8 under the hood, the drive system of the top model also matched the American look of Opel's new three-seater. But unlike the conventional US models, it also had a chassis that could cope with the power, as well as decent brakes. In addition, the automatic transmission raised ride comfort to a completely new level by European standards. This historical test report identifies the strengths and weaknesses of the Opel Diplomat V8.
Opel built the KAD series B from 1969 to 1977. KAD stands for Kapitän, Admiral and Diplomat, the individual models of the luxury class series. In the B models, Opel had made full technical use of the De Dion rear axle and the fuel injection system for the six-cylinder engine. In any case, the magazine 'hobby' was impressed by the improved top models from Rüsselsheim. This article reproduces the original wording of the test report at the time and shows the models in historical illustrations.
Opel's top model was often accused of being too American. Yet the Diplomat offered what we appreciate so much about US models without adopting their weaknesses. It combined the American strengths of smooth running, power, space and comfort with the European virtues of clean workmanship and good road holding. This historical test explains why the Opel Diplomat E was not a luxury car, but nevertheless a very good car.
In 1969, Opel presented a styling study called the Opel CD at the IAA, which was a long way from series production. Nevertheless, the positive response motivated those responsible at Opel to commission Pietro Frua to create a version closer to series production. The result was the Opel Gran Turismo HS V8 coupé, sometimes also known as the Coupé Diplomat Frua or CD Frua. Unfortunately, this model was also subsequently denied series production, but the basic lines and many ideas of the Bitter CD were eventually built several hundred times in Germany. This article describes the history of the two Frua coupés built on the basis of the Opel Diplomat and shows the cars in historical and modern pictures.
Although the Mercedes 280 was the top dog in 1970, the BMW 2800 and Opel Diplomat were hot on its heels. The magazine 'hobby' therefore compared precisely these two competitors and came to the conclusion that not only the BMW 2800, but also the Diplomat E was a good car. This article reproduces the original wording from back then and is illustrated with extensive historical images and a luxury brochure on the big BMW.
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